BALTIMORE, Md. (May 13, 2024) — Morgan State University is pleased to announce the appointment of Kathleen "Katie" Olenek as Assistant Athletic Director - Sports Medicine. Olenek brings a wealth of experience in athletic training and sports medicine to her new role, having served nine years as the assistant athletic trainer at Gettysburg College.
"We are thrilled to welcome Katie to Morgan State University," Dr. Tredell Dorsey, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Performance at Morgan State. "Her experience and expertise will be invaluable to our athletic training staff and our student-athletes. We are confident that she will make a significant contribution to our department and help us achieve our goals."
Olenek is coming from the Area Director of Sports Medicine position for the last 2.5 years with Select Medical, overseeing several athletic trainers in the college, high school, and outreach settings. She also was responsible for building and maintaining physician and physical therapy relationships to develop a robust sports medicine team. Most recently, Olenek was one of two athletic trainers for the World's Strongest Man competition in Myrtle Beach, S.C. this April and May.
Prior to Select Medical, Olenek spent almost 10 years as an athletic trainer at Gettysburg College. She was responsible for the overall health and well-being as the primary athletic trainer for the Bullets' volleyball, wrestling, and men's lacrosse programs. She provided comprehensive athletic training services, including injury prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. Olenek also played a key role in developing and implementing injury prevention protocols, as well as managing the athletic training budget and staff.
Prior to her contributions at Gettysburg, Olenek held the position of assistant athletic trainer at St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania. During her tenure at St. Francis, she displayed her versatility and expertise by working with a diverse range of athletic teams, including field hockey, women's lacrosse, women's swimming and diving, volleyball, tennis, and bowling.
Olenek is a 2009 graduate of Lock Haven University where she received her B.S. in health science. She played rugby at Lock Haven and served as team captain and club vice president. Following graduation, Olenek worked as a graduate assistant and a fitness instructor at Bloomsburg University. She completed her master's in exercise science at California University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
Olenek has gained additional experience working with Team USA squads. She served on the medical team at the 2014 USA Weightlifting American Open in Washington, D.C., and in the winter of 2017 she was the athletic trainer for the USA Women's Wrestling Cadet tour in Vancouver, Canada.
Olenek is a BOC Certified Athletic Trainer and is also an NASM Certified Performance Enhancement Specialist. Furthermore, she is a Certified American Heart Association BLS for Healthcare Providers (CPR/AED and First Aid).
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Olenek is delighted to welcome Bella Bradford to Morgan as an athletic trainer. Bella's impressive background in the field of athletic training makes her an invaluable asset to the organization. Prior to joining Olenek, she held the position of assistant athletic trainer at Wagner College, where she diligently served the football, women's lacrosse, triathlon, and men's and women's tennis teams.
She received her Bachelor's degree in exercise science from Southern Utah before beginning her Master's degree in athletic training at Oregon State.
While with the Beavers, Bradford spent time working with football, track and field/cross country, women's rowing, men's basketball, and most recently baseball. Over those two years with various teams, Bradford helped out with day-to-day rehabilitation of athletes.
The Lancaster, CA, native also spent time with Western Oregon University and Santiam Christian High School during her graduate school years, and Antelope Valley College prior to her time at Southern Utah.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
